Piastri, who qualified seventh after losing a lap that would have put him third on the grid, admitted he was shocked when he saw Verstappen suddenly make giant improvements in Q2, which he then backed up in Q3.
“A little bit, yeah. His lap in Q2 was a bit of a reality check for everyone,” the Australian said. “And he could repeat that in Q3.
“The gap seemed to be a bit bigger in this session for some reason and it’s clear they are still the force to beat.
Oscar Piastri, McLaren MCL38
Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images
“Max seemed to be a step ahead of everyone at that point. But it seems very close between Mercedes and Ferrari, I would say. »
Hamilton, who qualified fifth, said the difference Verstappen and the Red Bull can make in high-speed corners is “crazy” but was not totally surprised by their ability to push the pace in qualifying.
“We were way behind at high speed compared to Max, it’s crazy how much faster they are at high speed,” he said.
“I think they were 12-13 km/h faster, which is a lot. I wouldn’t say I’m surprised. We always seem to be quick in FP1 and free practice, and then everyone gets quicker and we don’t. That’s just the way it goes.”
When asked where his burst of speed came from, Verstappen said he felt connected to the car in a way he hadn’t felt in recent races.
“Of course it was a short lap and the gap was quite big. But on the other hand I felt really good with the car and the balance was there,” he explained.
“Then you can really attack and attack the corners and I guess that created such a gap. I’ve been feeling that in the car for a while.”
“In the last few races I’ve always been very close, in front or behind, so it was really positive for the team.”
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